Quince, cranberry and raisin chutney

by Sunita on December 14, 2009

Boxes, suitcases, everywhere! The whole house is starting to look like a store house, of sorts. And yes, while emptying shelves and wardrobes, so many little forgotten treasures are being unearthed! Somehow, looking at them,one marvels as to how they had been stashed away and forgotten. I’m a bit wary of emptying the kitchen, wonder what I’ll find!

Yes, rummaging does reveal quite a few hidden treasures. Just like the pictures of the following quince, cranberry and raisin chutney.

I had made it a while ago, and forgotten to post it. It was good that I was just going through my pictures the other day and found them. I really loved this chutney with it’s mix of sweetness from the fruits and heat from the chillies.

It is a very simple recipe. If you do not have quince, you can substitute it with pears, apples, or a mixture of both. In such cases, the cooking time will also need to be reduced, as quince is quite a tough fruit and takes much longer to cook.

Except the cranberries and raisins ( I had put them in at this stage, and they were too soft by the end, so am giving an alternative time to put them in ), place all the rest of the ingredients in a wide and thick bottomed pan. Stir well and place over heat.

Bring the contents of the pan to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover and cook for about 25 minutes. Add the cranberries and raisins and cook for another 10-20 minutes or till the quince is really soft. You can keep it as it is, or mash it a little if you want a smoother consistency.

Stir till very thick and most of the moisture has evaporated.

Cool completely before storing. The above measurements yielded about 2C of the chutney.

This was really very tasty, if I may say so myself. There was something about the combination of the fruity, hot and sweet of the chutney, that made me want to come back to it again and again.

There are few things that I love more than a spicy, fruity chutney (growing up, my favourite was Mrs Balls’ peach chutney in South Africa…). I love the colours and flavours of your chutney, and having made some green tomato & apple chutney last year, I am encouraged by just how easy it is! Beautiful pics, as always.

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